Yesterday the Treasury Committee published a letter sent to Andrew Tyrie MP from Martin Wheatley, Chairman of the Financial Conduct Authority dated 20 May 2013 regarding the Bank of Ireland’s recent move to increase the margin differential on its lifetime tracker mortgages. The letter looks at various aspects of the banks conduct and the FCA […]

I have relatives who have a protected tenancy, living in an oldish house in a rural area. Now in their 70’s they are finding it impossible to heat the house adequately in the winters. The heating system is antiquated and in need of updating. They have already provided improved loft insulation, paid for cavity wall […]

I can see the benefits of upgrading to business membership as it makes a lot of sense to include a link back to my inventory website and also to add my telephone number and email address so that members who follow one of my comments back to my member profile can get in touch should […]

If in doubt ASK Learning from other peoples experiences is often far more cost effective than making mistakes of your own! Advice on forums is no substitute for professional advice because comments and opinions are not insured. HOWEVER, discussion can lead to ideas which you may not have previously considered and can often point you […]

I have a question regarding what would be acceptable information for a planning department to give a Certificate of Lawfulness for a property I am potentially looking to purchase. Background: Property in question is the heart of one of the areas where 80-90% of all properties are of class 4 use. As many of you […]

My landlord has issued me with a section 21 because I have asked for certain information regarding where my deposit is and to see a copy of the gas safety certificate. I am devasted with this as I have a chronically ill daughter whom is on full disability and the house is perfect for her. […]

Referencing services for landlords come in several varieties and with numerous options and price structures.  You can get anything from a credit check for a fiver through to full referencing which guarantees rent on the due date if your prospective tenants and guarantors are considered to be a good risk. The larger referencing companies have […]

My understanding is that when a tenant abandons a property, they are responsible for the utility bills (gas, water, electric, phone) up until the end of their contract or until a new tenant moves in. It appears that if you send the utility company a copy of the AST, and in the terms it states […]

All good things come to an end – and in due course your  tenancy agreement’s fixed term will end too. What happens then? When the fixed term ends Some people assume that the tenancy will end and that if the tenants stay on they will be squatters who can be easily evicted.  However you will […]

I was renting from an agent and when the landlord returned they gave him my phone no. and he rang me screaming an shouting and swearing saying we had left the property filthy. It was cleaner than when we moved in! Two things were justified and we agreed to pay £200 for a new door […]

I bought 3 properties off-plan in 2008, and was assured that rental demand would be high. However in this particular area (Dudley, West Midlands) rents have declined, and now the Ground Rent is around 25% of the rentals income. The freeholder’s nominated management company have increased their fees, so that takes another 25%, and provide […]

I have a house for my student son and three friends. My question is quite simple. Would you do a three room tenancy agreement for three students renting part of the property and use of the communal areas, or a whole house tenancy single tenancy for the four (with the higher rent)? If there is […]

I have a current tenant, a lady of appx 35 with an 8yr old daughter, who has, can I say, ” gone sour on me.” She signed a Tenancy Agreement , drafted by, my then Letting Agent,for an initial 6months and which has then been followed for a further unspecified period on a periodic tenancy […]

Do you know of a standalone software package for inventories that let’s you insert time and date stamped photos into it? At the moment I use Imfuna Let which is good but I am becoming concerned about the fact that the pictures are time and date stamped in US rather than UK time. That is […]

The Property Agents I am using appear to be going downhill. I have not been paid for 2 months. Is the Rental Income Ring-fenced? How can I ensure that my tenants future payments come to me? Do I have to give the tenants their 2-months Notice and get new tenants in via another Agent? Thanks […]

I rent a house to sharers. The tenants’ rent is all inclusive. It is an unlicensed HMO. Historical each individual tenant has had an ast signed and deposit held, and in some cases, “protected”. I am careful when selecting new housemates and (so far) have had no trouble. I have always returned deposits quickly. Can […]

Rent2Rent companies are using the wrong letting contracts Whilst I have never been a fan of the Rent2Rent strategy I have to accept that a lot of investors are using Rent2Rent including Housing Associations, Councils and FTSE 250 companies as well as privateers. As it is the mission of Property118 to share best practice, helping these […]

I entered a contract with Sheppards Bush Housing Association “SBHA” for three years at agreed rent of £310 per week. They knew I was going aboard. I checked with Ealing Council and they confirmed that the rent for my property would be £310. I borrowed money to do a lot of work that they required […]

I’m looking for some advice here as I’m having no end of problems with my letting agent. I have found their standard of service and communication to be appalling whilst being charged extortionate fees. They have carried out repairs without first obtaining quotes, not returned calls, not paid money into my account on the date […]

As a property investor, you probably spend a good chunk of time driving, and sitting at your desk doing mind-numbing paperwork. Instead of just listening to Radio 4 (or your local dubstep pirate station – we’re not judging), wouldn’t it be great if there was a radio show all about property that you could tune […]

A landlord who came out and told BBC’s The One Show of her troublesome tenant has now had further problems.  Broadcast on 2nd May, the landlord Mrs Trivedy was featured on the show in an item about rent-arrears and the difficulties landlords are having with tenants on benefit who are not passing on the rent. […]